What are the strongest guitar strings?

[Devotee]

I was wondering if anyone could help me in my quest to find the ultimate strongest guitar strings out there. I usually string up with 11's and tune to C# standard and use a Floyd for a lot for a lot of crazy divebombs, extreme vibrato and flutters. Plus I pick REALLY hard (almost percussively) so I need a set of strings that can stand up to a lot of abuse without ever breaking.

I used to use Dean Markley Blue Steels which were quite good but recently switched up to Elixirs to check them out and see what all the fuss is about. I was playing a gig last night (tuned to D standard, mind) and broke the A on a two-week old set of strings! Thank fuck I had a backup guitar. Before somebody says anything, the knife edges on the Floyd can't be worn out since it's barely been a few months since I bought it brand new.

Should I just string up with some 12's and add another spring in the trem cavity?

[SEAN RAF]

Don't know about whether any particular set/brand of strings is any stronger than the next. I'd just do the usual thing of making sure you wipe them down after you've finished playing. I use D'Addario 10 - 46 in standard tuning on Floyd Rose equipped guitars. I get a maximum of 6 hours out of them. I (and my band) can predict when a string is about to snap, usually the A or the D.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Where are they breaking?

Two weeks is a little old for gigging on strings if you're hard on them with the tremolo. I always changed mine weekly "just to be sure" as they would often break at the saddle after a couple of weeks.

What would the knife edges have to do with breaking strings? :think:

[toejam]

Plus I pick REALLY hard (almost percussively) so I need a set of strings that can stand up to a lot of abuse without ever breaking.

Maybe work on your technique and don't pick so hard?

[rjohnstone]

You're gonna be hard pressed to find any strings that will hold up to that kind of abuse for very long.

And two weeks on a set of strings while gigging? Brave man.

I changed mine at least a day before any show. Gave me plenty of time to get them settled.
I could reliably get two shows out of a set if we had to play two nights in a row. But I always had 3 guitars with me at any gig, so I wasn't too worried about a string breaking.

[Grim]

I just throw DR Tite-Fits on, and I can count on one hand how many breaks I've had in over 10 years of use.

[levantin]

I've never broken a string ever. How do manage that?

[micha]

I'm with rjohnstone. Get a new pack of strings the day before your show.
I don't know how regulary you gig, but having way better chances of playing the whole gig without broken strings should be worth it.

I use D'Addario 10 - 46 in standard tuning on Floyd Rose equipped guitars. I get a maximum of 6 hours out of them.

6 hours is all they can take in your hands?
Playing guitar is quite expensive, isn't it?

[P I K A]

I've never broken a string ever. How do manage that?

Yea me either ,I think your technique needs improvement. Or switch to bass .

[Devotee]

Thanks for all the replies guys and happy new year!

I've never broken a string ever. How do manage that?

Yea me either ,I think your technique needs improvement. Or switch to bass .

Wow! That's crazy! What, do you guys tickle the strings with feathers?

Maybe work on your technique and don't pick so hard?

I'm not arrogant enough to not think that my technique definitely needs improvement, i'm not really sure that's an issue. I just pick fucking hard and i like it, that's how i learned how to play and that's how i get my tone, so i just need some strings that fit my technique.

I did forget to mention that the A string had broken a few days prior to the gig. I always break strings at the saddle so it's just a matter of clipping the broken end off, giving the string a little more slack and clamping it back in. I should change strings more often.

I just throw DR Tite-Fits on, and I can count on one hand how many breaks I've had in over 10 years of use.

Thanks for the recommendation, i'll check them out!

@ rjohnstone: Thanks for the advice!

[toejam]

Eh, I pick a little on the hard side, too, but I haven't broken a string in many, many years. I'd say use thicker strings if you can't pick lighter...

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

The last time I broke a string, I forgot which Floyd nut locks I'd undone and snapped it on the peghead side.

[VitaminG]

if you always break strings at the saddle, it might be worth check the saddles for burrs or what have you

[Robert Hendrix]

The last time I broke a string onstage, I was using a metal pick. It was the A string, and it didn't really break, it came unravalled while I was off on a zone in the middle of a song. My hand scraped against the frayed wrapping. By the end of the song, there was blood all over the front of my guitar... Yeah, I bleed for my art.

Seriously, I agree with VitaminG. Check your saddles for burrs. If they are new, it's possible.

[Trem]

hmmn, i play hard, pick hard bend hard ect.. and my strings will last a year or more, i mean never break them at all, just 1 string in the last few years and they were almost 2 years old.

Like VitaminG said if your breaking them a lot, it's a saddle issue more than likely.